No friendly backyard rivalry. No bragging rights. No Slippery Rock football team decked out in all red.

The annual Slippery Rock-Grove City high school football grudge match is dead — for now.

The Eagles move up fromClass AA to Class AAA this season. The Rockets move down from Class AAA to Class AA. Both moves, coupled with a schedule that offers no mutual open dates, has interrupted the series that began in 1976 for at least two seasons.

"In fairness to (former Slippery Rock athletic director) Jim Hart and (Grove City athletic director) Bill Jordan, there was nothing they could do. They tried," said Slippery Rock coach Clyde Conti.

This season will be the first since 1987 that the two teams, separated by eight miles, will not play during the regular season.

Grove City has won the last four meetings and holds a 16-8 lead in the all-time series.

Slippery Rock will open its season against non-region foe Fort LeBoeuf at home and will host a team from New York in October. Grove City will host non-region opponent Erie Central in its opener.

"I felt in the past we've had a good, clean hard-fought game with Grove City," Conti said. "Even though we haven't had much success against them lately, it is a shame we won't get to play them for this two-year interval."

Both programs hope to renew the series in 2010.

Slippery Rock and Grove City will square off on the football field this season, although not in a game that counts.

When it became clear there was no chance the two teams would play in the regular season, the two schools worked out a way to scrimmage each other.

Slippery Rock, Grove City and Brookville will hold a scrimmage at Grove City Aug. 16.

It's not the same as duking it out in the season opener, when the Rockets traditionally wear red jerseys with red pants, but it will have to do.

"Grove City offered to have it at their place, which is a beautiful facility," Conti said. "I'm sure the Grove City players feel the same way as we do about it. At least it is something."

Grove City coachJeff Bell has long enjoyed the rivalry.

"Slippery Rock and Grove City could play checkers and it would be a battle," Bell said several years ago.

This fall, checkers will be the only way the two football teams will be able to compete.